A change of attire for a different mood–Getting different looks for their models is often a goal for photographers. It can be something as simple as letting their hair down and introducing a colored backlight. Here is the setup for the lights.
Before you tear down the set sometimes you have to ask yourself, “What else can I try? I’m already here.”
Everything is already set up. If you have time, you might as well push the envelope and see.
That’s what I really enjoyed about working with Hadia.
She was up for more.
When she produced the paraffin lamps, I was chomping at the bit.
Now we were literally playing with fire and turning up the heat.
In my previous post “Photographing a belly dancer,†I mentioned how you have to make do when you don’t have control over the lighting and access to the performing/dance area.
I started wondering how much better my images could look, if I had more control, the control freak that I am.
I don’t make it a point enough to head downtown for Riverside’s Art Walk, the 1st Thursday of every month.
I tend to pop in only when my students have their work displayed at Back to the Grind.
Thursday evening I got to meet the family of some my students and I was also treated to some very exquisite Belly Dancing by Hadia Habibi.
In my previous life I photographed all sorts of events, indoors, outdoors, some staged others totally impromptu.
On a good day, my photo assignment would give me a good idea or a “mental picture†of what to expect.
Lighting on-the-fly–With little preparation, all I could do was put my Canon 580EX with radio receiver, set it to 1/32th power, keep my fingers crossed that Hadia would be dancing in the general area.
Seasonal portrait–For this seasonal portrait of Courtney Michelle Pratt, I used one off-camera flash. I was lucky to have the assistance of her friend Heather who held my Canon 430 EX speedlite set on Slave mode, 1/16th power and the zoom setting at 85 mm. Canon 40D with 580EX on hot shoe as Master with 17-35 f2.8 zoom lens. Thanks to Greg Palmer, owner of the Pumpkin Patch, for the use of your location for this picture.
Even if you are a beginner, eventually you will want to explore off-camera flash.
Believe it or not, your external flash can actually live away from your camera’s hotshoe.
